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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. firm — decided
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — ground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — to paddle
  13. land — a country
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — to come down
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — a line
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — hurry

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