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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — in a race
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — of the year
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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