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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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