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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. root — the cause
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a word
  10. court — for sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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