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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spring — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — of water
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fall — the season
  20. row — a line
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — thin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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