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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
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: pop · calf · pitcher · lie · craft · mine · hand · bowl

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mine — for digging
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — help
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — boats
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pop — soda
  24. lie — an untruth

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