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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mug — to rob
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — child
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — for money

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