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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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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: cabinet · last · snap · hide · bay · calf · file · stand

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — finally
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — final
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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