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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tear — to rip
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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