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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lean — thin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — to play on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. swing — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — of the sea

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