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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kick — in football
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tear — from crying
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bass — low music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — the fish
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rush — hurry

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