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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — a law
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kid — child
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rule — government
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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