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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — the sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. row — a line

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