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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a match
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. file — a tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. file — a line of people
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of a tree

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