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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. track — a song
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — decided
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a music group
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a ring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mug — a face

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