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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. shower — rain
  5. row — to paddle
  6. file — a document
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — to wash
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — letters
  17. row — a line
  18. object — an aim
  19. spell — a short time
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spell — magic

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