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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — a skill
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — of water
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cap — a hat
  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