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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. object — to protest
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rash — a series
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. present — there
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a music group
  23. present — the time now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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