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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.

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: sharp · leaves · cold · roll · ground · hide · bay · row

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — a list
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ground — a position
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ground — the earth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cold — an illness
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cold — not warm
  24. hide — animal skin

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