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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a music group
  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