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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a ring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. band — a rubber band

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