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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — of a river
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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