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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — in a race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — a permit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rash — hasty
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. calf — a young animal

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