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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. file — a tool
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — to protest
  6. land — a country
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. object — a thing
  11. land — ground
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. land — to come down
  16. ground — crushed
  17. file — a document
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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