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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. row — to paddle
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — boats
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — a line
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. fall — the season

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