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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hand — help
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — to breed
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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