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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — a contest
  11. roll — a list
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — help
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lie — an untruth

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