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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: pit · rock · key · lie · fine · mate · calf · trunk

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rock — music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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