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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spell — magic
  6. lie — to recline
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. club — for golf
  12. band — a music group
  13. last — to go on
  14. band — a ring
  15. last — final
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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