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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mug — to rob
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mug — a face
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — the cause
  24. deal — to handle

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