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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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