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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — in music
  3. club — a group
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fine — all right
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fine — high quality
  22. row — a line
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — hurry

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