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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — an aim
  7. land — to come down
  8. row — a line
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a partner
  18. land — ground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — a trail
  23. object — to protest
  24. staff — employees

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