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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. tube — a container
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. ground — crushed
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — to get on
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — a flat piece
  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