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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cell — in biology
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a music group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a ring
  23. cell — a phone
  24. perch — for a bird

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