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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. net — for catching
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rest — a break
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — army training

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