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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rule — a law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cold — not warm
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cold — an illness
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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