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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. drill — a practice
  11. season — of the year
  12. net — in sport
  13. rock — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. net — for catching
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. sharp — clever

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