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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rash — hasty
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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