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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 116 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 · season · kid · wake · firm · leaves · calf · trunk

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — a trail
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. season — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. kid — child
  24. season — to add flavour

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