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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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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 · bear · mate · track · cold · bowl · hide · bay

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — to paddle
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. row — a line
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. track — a path
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — to put up with

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