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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — ground
  6. track — a path
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cap — a lid
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. land — to come down
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a hat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. land — a country
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hand — help
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — a thrill

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