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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. file — a line of people
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. file — a document
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. file — a tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — to rip

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