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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. squash — to crush
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cell — a phone
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — a path
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. track — a song
  21. current — happening now
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — electric
  24. hide — to keep secret

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