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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — a gift
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. present — there
  8. ball — a dance
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. drill — army training
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — low music
  24. present — the time now

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