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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — in music
  4. spell — letters
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. row — a line
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pass — to spend time

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