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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cold — an illness
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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