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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. field — for sport
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — a subject
  17. shower — rain
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. field — farmland
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. calf — of the leg

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