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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — music
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — in control
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — child
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. capital — a city
  24. wave — with your hand

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