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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bat — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. shower — rain
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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