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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. sharp — clever
  6. last — final
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a grade
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. charge — electricity
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. net — after costs
  20. last — to go on
  21. row — a line
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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