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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — the time now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — there
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. present — a gift
  14. bat — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. calf — a young animal

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