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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · lean · hide · cold · bound · saw · calf · cell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. lean — to bend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lean — thin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cell — a phone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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