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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: stick · rule · hide · roll · sharp · mouse · game · calf

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — government
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a cake
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — a law
  17. roll — a list
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mouse — the 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