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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. season — in sport
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to rest against

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