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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · snap · fall · last · mine · lie · lean · game

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fall — to drop
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fall — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. last — final
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. game — wild animals
  17. snap — to click
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mine — for digging
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. last — to go on

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