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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. face — to point toward
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. face — part of the head
  12. staff — a stick
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — employees
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rock — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. face — to confront
  23. row — a line
  24. cell — a phone

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