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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · mouse · clip · bowl · suit · calf · cabinet · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. last — final
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. last — finally
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — a video
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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