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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — ground
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a music group
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. staff — employees
  18. cell — in biology
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — to come down
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a ring

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