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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. clip — a video
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — to be able to

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