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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — in football
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger

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