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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chest — a box
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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