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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — the amount
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. content — happy
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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