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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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — a law
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — a face
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — a cup
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hide — animal skin

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