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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — low music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. hide — animal skin

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