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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — a committee
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a line
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. content — the amount
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — a container
  24. kick — with a leg

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