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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fine — all right
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — child

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