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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · chip · mug · spell · rash · ball · tube · board

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — to rob
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — a committee
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rash — a series
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hide — animal skin

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