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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — in music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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