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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · fan · pitcher · calf · game · bore · mouse · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — to cool the air

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