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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. capital — a city
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. capital — money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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