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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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