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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pass — a permit

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