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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — high quality
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. drill — army training
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — a subject
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. drill — a practice
  23. field — farmland
  24. hide — to keep secret

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