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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — rain
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — a line
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lean — thin

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