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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. firm — decided
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bound — certain
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — a line
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — steady
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. firm — a company

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