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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. game — a match
  4. file — a document
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals

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