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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — in sport
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bound — certain
  5. row — a line
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. net — after costs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — for catching
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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