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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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 — to paddle
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — obliged
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. lie — to recline
  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