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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. tear — to rip
  5. row — to paddle
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — from crying
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a quarrel

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