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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — army training
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. last — final
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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