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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — child
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — the season
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — for catching
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com