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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — to crush
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. hide — to keep secret

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