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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — to tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bore — gave birth

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