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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — a gift
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kick — in football
  13. tear — to rip
  14. present — there
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tear — from crying

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