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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — to point toward
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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