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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 124 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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — steady
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. firm — a company
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — a line

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