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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bass — the fish
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. bass — low music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. row — a line
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — to come down
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a round shape

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