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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — to be able to
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lie — to recline
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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