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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. leaves — lets stay

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