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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. last — final
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — finally
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — to go on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — a container
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret

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