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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pass — a permit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spring — the season
  24. fall — the season

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