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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: last · stick · fan · kick · scale · row · rock · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — finally
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — a line
  12. last — final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. last — to go on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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