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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 124 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. row — to paddle
  4. last — finally
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — to go on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rock — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. saw — the tool
  19. row — a line
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. last — final
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ball — a round shape
  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