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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. vault — a safe
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pound — a weight
  24. row — a line

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