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

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — finally
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. row — a line
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — an aim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — final

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