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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. last — final
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lie — to recline
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. last — finally
  20. bass — low music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — the fish

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