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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — a container
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — a box
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — a line
  24. mine — an explosive

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