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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 120 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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — the season
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bat — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ball — a dance
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. drill — army training

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