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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 120 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — a weight
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. calf — of the leg

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