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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mine — an explosive

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