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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wound — an injury
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. row — a line
  9. pop — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — decided
  15. pop — soda
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. firm — a company
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — the animal

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