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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — of the year
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. season — in sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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