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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — to get on
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pit — in a race
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rest — a break
  13. shower — rain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. file — a document
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. dip — to sink
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pit — a hole
  24. dip — to dunk

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