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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rash — hasty
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — ground
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — to come down
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rash — a series
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — high quality
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fine — all right

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