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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — clothes
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — in cards
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — a division
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to click
  24. suit — to fit

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