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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — the earth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — crushed
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. shower — rain
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — a container
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. row — a line
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. shower — to wash

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