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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: bat · calf · lie · toast · fine · prune · straw · last

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. last — finally
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. last — final
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — to go on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. toast — bread
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fine — all right
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — the animal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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