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

Word bank: bat · rock · row · track · lie · rest · hide · pit

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bat — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rock — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — a break
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a path
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. row — a line
  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