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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. last — to go on
  3. capital — a city
  4. bat — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. row — a line
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — magic
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spell — letters
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — the animal

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