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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to point toward
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. march — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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