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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of law
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — a weight
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — a line
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. shower — rain
  23. court — of a king
  24. bulb — for light

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