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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — rain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. land — ground
  15. wind — moving air
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. land — a country
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — to put up with
  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