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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fall — the season
  4. game — a match
  5. bound — obliged
  6. club — a group
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bark — to shout
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — certain
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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