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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — from crying
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. tube — a container
  16. tear — to rip
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tear — from crying
  24. foot — part of the body

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