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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — a video
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — goods
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. clip — to cut
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. safe — a strongbox

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