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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rash — a series
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — the season
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — a supporter

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