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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — music
  22. row — a line
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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