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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a committee

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