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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mug — a cup
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mug — a face
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — to recline

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