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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — in football
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — final
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fine — all right
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — to roll

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