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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. mug — to rob
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. row — a line
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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