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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hand — help
  8. season — of the year
  9. hand — in cards
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — the season
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spring — of water
  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