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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. tube — a container
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — in a tire

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