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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. last — finally
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stock — shares
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — to go on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — final

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