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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · rash · fall · rock · foot · wound · tube · mate

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mate — a partner

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