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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. drill — a practice
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a document
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a great time

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