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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 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — in traffic

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