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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. root — of a word
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — the cause
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — to fit

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