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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. clip — for paper
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. clip — to cut
  20. tube — a container
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. clip — a video
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — in a tire

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