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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — army training
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. branch — a division
  23. row — a line
  24. arm — part of the body

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