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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. shower — rain
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. drill — army training
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. content — happy
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. shower — to wash
  10. drill — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. clip — a video
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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