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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — goods
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bear — the animal

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