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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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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — a break
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — to keep track

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