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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hand — in cards
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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