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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — help
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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