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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wound — an injury
  11. present — a gift
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. present — there

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