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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — clever
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. march — the month
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fine — all right
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. sharp — with an edge

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