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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. last — to go on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tear — to rip
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — of a word
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bass — low music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — finally
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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