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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — rain
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — goods
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. shower — to wash
  23. game — a match
  24. chip — for betting

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