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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — to rip
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. suit — clothes
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mug — a cup

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