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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. shower — to wash
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — rain
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — to eat
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mine — belonging to me

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