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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — the season
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. season — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kid — child

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