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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — a container
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — there
  8. tube — the underground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. row — a line
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. present — a gift
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ball — a round shape

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