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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bat — for baseball

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