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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — magic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spell — letters
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a document
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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