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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — a gift
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. present — there
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to click
  15. tube — a container
  16. present — the time now
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — help
  23. squash — the sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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