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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kick — in football
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  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