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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — army training
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. shower — to wash
  16. drill — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — a stick
  19. shower — rain
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. staff — employees
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fan — a supporter

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