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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — for catching
  3. shower — to wash
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. drill — a practice
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — army training
  22. rush — hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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