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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — for digging
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. roll — a list
  24. calf — of the leg

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