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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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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: dip · bass · tear · lie · calf · last · pass · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. last — final
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. last — to go on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bass — low music

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