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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — rain
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — a permit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. plane — an aircraft

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