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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. roll — a list
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mine — for digging
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a great time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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