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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ground — the earth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a match
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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