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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: tear · row · swing · can · hand · pitcher · key · hide

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a line
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tear — from crying
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — help
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hand — in cards
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tear — to rip

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