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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bark — to shout
  8. firm — decided
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — a company
  12. drill — a practice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. dip — to sink
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — army training
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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