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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cold — an illness
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — of the year
  17. cold — not warm
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. tube — in a tire

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