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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cold — not warm
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — thin
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to bend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bank — for money
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — completely

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