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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. game — a match
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — to go on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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