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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — a phone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — obliged
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — for catching
  12. wax — to grow
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — the fish
  18. net — after costs
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wax — in the ear

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