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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's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. staff — employees
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — in music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cold — not warm
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bound — tied together
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mug — a face
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — certain
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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