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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — size or range
  24. can — to be able to

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