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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. prune — to trim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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