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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — of water
  4. pit — a hole
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. last — to go on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — in a race
  19. last — final
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. can — to be able to

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