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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rush — hurry
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. row — a line
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — in cards
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. track — a path
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. shower — to wash

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