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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — a box
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a ring
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — a young animal

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