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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — the season
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — to rest against

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