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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — happening now
  4. present — there
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a list
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. present — a gift
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wound — an injury
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — a cake

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