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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a ring
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spring — of water
  11. band — a music group
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to click
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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