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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spring — of water
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cell — a phone

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