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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lie — to recline
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — rain
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. net — after costs

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