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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lean — to bend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — to rest against

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