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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — rain
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. object — to protest
  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