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

Word bank: bore · bat · pit · calf · swing · bay · lie · shower

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pit — a hole

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