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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rock — a stone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — a box
  24. fine — high quality

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