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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rule — government
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — happy
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — high quality

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