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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — a stick
  11. shower — rain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spring — a coil
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  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