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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — in cards
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — a position
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — to fit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ground — crushed

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