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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: bound · shower · calf · saw · march · swing · staff · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — tied together
  24. staff — a stick

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