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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — finally
  9. bore — to drill
  10. perch — the fish
  11. club — for dancing
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. last — to go on
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. club — for golf
  24. bore — to tire

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