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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chest — a box
  7. lean — thin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. shower — rain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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