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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. file — a tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — a trainer

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