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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. row — a line
  3. net — after costs
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bound — obliged
  16. net — in sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — a list
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — to cut
  24. dip — a sauce

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