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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. net — for catching
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. clip — for paper
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — in sport
  23. row — a line
  24. stand — to bear

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