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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rest — a break
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — a line
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — letters
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — magic
  18. bass — the fish
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — in music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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