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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. toast — bread
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a city
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chest — a box
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — a thrill

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