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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spring — a coil
  13. shower — rain
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — the season
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. field — a subject
  18. row — a line
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lie — to recline
  24. field — for sport

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