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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. present — the time now
  4. object — to protest
  5. lean — thin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. present — there
  20. pop — soda
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — a container

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