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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. present — there
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — child
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — of a river

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