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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — decided
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — a line
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — rain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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