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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — the sport
  6. roll — a list
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — to crush
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — in golf
  14. track — to keep track
  15. roll — a cake
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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