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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — rain
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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