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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — to paddle
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. craft — boats
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rest — a break
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — a line
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — a thrill

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