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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: row · roll · mark · season · hide · date · clip · mug

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a face
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. season — in sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. season — of the year
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. clip — to cut
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mug — a cup
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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