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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cell — in biology
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rock — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cell — a phone
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pop — soda
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wind — moving air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — in football
  24. squash — the vegetable

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