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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — to wash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rock — a stone
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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