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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. drill — army training
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — animal skin

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