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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — rain
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — help
  6. cap — a hat
  7. shower — to wash
  8. last — final
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. row — a line
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lie — to recline
  17. march — the month
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. march — music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. march — the month

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