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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — for a lock
  12. squash — to crush
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. key — in music
  18. last — final
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  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