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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spell — letters
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — magic
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — the animal
  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