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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. row — to paddle
  8. capital — a city
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mug — a face
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — to rob

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