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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — low music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rock — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — an explosive

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