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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lean — thin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. row — a line
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lean — to rest against

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