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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. firm — a company
  3. row — a line
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — steady
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. current — electric
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a great time
  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