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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · lean · mouse · field · object · calf · hide · pop

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. field — a subject
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. field — for sport
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. calf — of the leg

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