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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.

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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. season — of the year
  5. shower — rain
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — shares
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. shower — to wash
  16. season — in sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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