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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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