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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
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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: hide · foot · row · date · capital · bay · current · shower

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. capital — money
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. row — a line
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — a measure
  17. date — the fruit
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. shower — to wash
  20. capital — a city
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. date — on the calendar

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