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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. file — a tool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — soda
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pop — to visit

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