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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of a king
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rash — a series
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. staff — a stick
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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