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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 124 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. scale — size or range
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — in music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — rain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — for a hammer

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