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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — ground
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — low music
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — electric

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