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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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. perch — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. band — a ring
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — the amount
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. race — the arms race

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