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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — a line
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ground — a position
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — of a river

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