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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — the most important part
  13. drill — army training
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kid — to tease
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tube — a container
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — the tool

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