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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — in music
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a committee
  11. march — the month
  12. board — to get on
  13. court — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. court — of law
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of a king
  21. march — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rest — what's left

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