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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ball — a round shape

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