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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rash — a series
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. file — a line of people
  7. object — an aim
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — a line
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. file — a document
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. plane — a tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. ground — a position
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. object — to protest

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