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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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