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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — government
  24. mine — for digging

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