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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — a coil
  6. drill — army training
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — of water
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. drill — a practice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — the season
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. date — the fruit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — shares
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — with your hand

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