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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — to paddle

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