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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — a match
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — army training

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