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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — soda
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. file — a document
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. file — a tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — to visit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mug — a face
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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