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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. file — a line of people
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a face
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. file — a document
  16. mug — to rob
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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