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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — help
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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