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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — a committee
  22. hand — help
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fork — a garden tool

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