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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — child
  3. bound — tied together
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — army training
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bear — the animal

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