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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — to recline
  9. row — a line
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — a measure
  23. saw — the tool
  24. net — after costs

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