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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — to visit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pop — music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pop — soda

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