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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. dip — to sink
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. squash — to crush
  20. present — there
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. row — a line
  24. present — a gift

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