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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — a position
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. calf — a young animal

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