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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — in a road

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