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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 124 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mug — to rob
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. content — the amount
  10. spring — a coil
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. drill — army training
  17. spring — of water
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a face
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — a practice

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