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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. scale — in music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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