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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a cake
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lie — to recline
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kid — child
  12. roll — a list
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. kid — to tease
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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