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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — there
  14. row — a line
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — a container
  17. track — a path
  18. present — a gift
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. track — to keep track
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — animal skin

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