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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.

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: hide · ball · mouse · pit · calf · fan · wound · file

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — in a race
  6. file — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — a young animal

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