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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. toast — bread
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pass — a permit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pit — a hole
  23. clip — a video
  24. row — a line

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