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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 124 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — to shout
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — a measure
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hand — help
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. march — music
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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