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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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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: bay · leaves · row · wake · stick · pass · rash · hide

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. row — a line
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rash — a series
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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