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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — help
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fine — all right
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — a break

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