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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kid — to tease
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. clip — a video
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — a dish

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