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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. last — finally
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — rain
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. last — final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — to recline

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