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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a grade
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a trace

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