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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spring — the season
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — of water
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. calf — of the leg

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