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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
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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 · pop · chip · wake · date · drill · rash · mine

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — army training
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mine — for digging
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pop — soda
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rash — hasty

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