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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — in football
  20. mine — for digging
  21. club — for dancing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mine — an explosive

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