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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. kick — in football
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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