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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kick — in football
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. swing — in golf
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — music

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