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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spell — letters
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — an aim
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — a trace
  24. last — to go on

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