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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rock — a stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — steady
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. firm — a company
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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