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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. drill — army training
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — child
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — to keep secret

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