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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. drill — army training
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a hat
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ball — a dance
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a great time
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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