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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rule — a law
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — government
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a hole
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — the fish
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. row — to paddle

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