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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cap — of ice
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — a lid
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bore — to drill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — to tire
  18. foot — part of the body

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