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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lie — to recline

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