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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — to drill
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. swing — music
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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