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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.

Words on the sheet
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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. drill — army training
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — belonging to me

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