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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spring — the season
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. spring — a coil
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spring — of water
  20. court — for sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. firm — decided
  23. snap — to click
  24. firm — steady

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