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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tube — a container
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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