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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — the underground
  5. suit — clothes
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — a container
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mouse — for a computer

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