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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a hat
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. staff — employees
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — a stick
  21. roll — a list
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — employees

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