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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.

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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. tear — to rip
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hand — help
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. rash — a series
  23. board — to get on
  24. rash — hasty

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