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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mug — to rob
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a face
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — to be able to

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