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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — rain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rock — a stone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rock — music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ball — a round shape

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