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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — a short time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. march — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. spell — magic
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bear — to put up with

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