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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — help
  24. bore — to drill

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