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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. present — there
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — a gift
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — a phone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. cell — in biology
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — army training
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. face — part of the head
  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