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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to click
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. last — finally
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — in music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — final
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. deal — to handle
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — of your body
  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