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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. game — a match
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — to drop

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