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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 124 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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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: toast · calf · court · hide · mug · kid · rash · pound

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. toast — bread
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rash — a series
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mug — a cup
  19. court — for sport
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — child
  22. rash — hasty
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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