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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chest — a box
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. roll — a list
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ball — a dance

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