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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — a hat
  23. calf — of the leg
  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