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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. track — a path
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — to keep track
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — in football
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rest — a break
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mine — for digging

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