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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. calf — a young animal

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