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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hand — help
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. club — a group
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — for golf
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fall — to drop

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