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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — for catching
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — a coil
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to click
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — a monarch

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