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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — government

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