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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — a line
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — thin
  19. drill — army training
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — an untruth

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