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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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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 · track · bat · ground · suit · bore · spell · shower

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ground — the earth
  4. track — a path
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spell — letters
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — clothes
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spell — magic
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. track — to keep track
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — a short time
  24. track — a song

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