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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. firm — a company
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. land — ground
  13. mine — for digging
  14. land — to come down
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. firm — steady
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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