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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fine — high quality
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — in sport
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — to go on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to sink
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. season — of the year
  17. last — final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. last — finally
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fine — a penalty

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