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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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 — animal skin
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bore — to tire
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rock — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bat — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. row — to paddle
  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