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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. row — a line
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — help
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fan — to cool the air

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