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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. object — to protest
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. kid — child

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