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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — a thing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — low music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bass — the fish
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. patient — a sick person

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