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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. shower — rain
  13. rash — a series
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — a break

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