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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · hide · pit · cold · march · can · staff · wave

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cold — not warm
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — to be able to

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