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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. file — a tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — for dancing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — in music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. club — a group
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a document
  22. net — for catching
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — in sport

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