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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — a path
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. root — the cause
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — of a word
  24. chip — for betting

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