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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — a stone
  8. root — the cause
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. shower — rain
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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