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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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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: calf · lie · jam · bat · saw · tear · rush · key

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tear — to rip
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. calf — a young animal

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