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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hide — animal skin

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