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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kick — in football
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bound — tied together
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. track — a song
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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