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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — a committee
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — low music
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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