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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. face — to confront
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — a lid
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cue — for pool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cap — a hat

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