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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. drill — army training
  3. root — of a word
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a friend
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. shower — to wash
  11. track — a path
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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