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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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