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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — a practice
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bound — certain
  11. drill — army training
  12. bound — tied together
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — a law
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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