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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. wound — an injury
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a line
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — hurry

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