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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 120 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — a position
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. content — the amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. race — a contest
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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