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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — happening now
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — army training
  24. cap — of ice

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