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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cold — not warm
  4. firm — steady
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cold — an illness
  10. firm — decided
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a dance
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. band — a music group
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. firm — a company
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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