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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — hurry

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