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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.

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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. net — in sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. content — the amount
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — after costs
  14. content — happy
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. shower — to wash
  17. row — a line
  18. content — videos and posts

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