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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. file — a document
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. band — a music group
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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