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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — for dancing
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — electric
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for golf
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — a group
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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