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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — a permit
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — a line
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — to crush

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