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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: chair · saw · calf · foot · game · lie · rash · stem

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chair — a leader
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — wild animals
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a match

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