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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — for dancing
  7. drill — army training
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — the tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. drill — a practice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — a group
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — child
  21. dip — to sink
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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