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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — all right
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. present — there
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — the time now
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — high quality
  12. present — a gift
  13. row — to paddle
  14. land — a country
  15. row — a line
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — to keep track
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. track — a song
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — a young animal

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