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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a grade
  15. file — a line of people
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — wild animals
  22. present — there
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. game — a match

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