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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rock — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tube — a container
  24. mine — an explosive

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