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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: lie · deal · calf · root · pound · swing · perch · mine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — a weight
  8. swing — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. perch — the fish
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — to recline

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