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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. spell — magic
  11. present — the time now
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. firm — decided
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — army training
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. firm — steady

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