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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — a thing
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — an aim
  7. lean — thin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hand — help
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of a car

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