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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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kid — child
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. kid — to tease
  17. object — an aim
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. safe — out of danger

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