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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a line
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. row — to paddle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — farmland

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