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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.

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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. content — happy
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kid — child
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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