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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a line of people
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. shower — rain
  6. wake — a trail
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — to rob
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mug — a face
  20. can — to be able to
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a document
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — animal skin

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