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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rash — hasty
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rash — a series
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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