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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — to wash
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — a group
  9. shower — rain
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. club — for golf
  17. mug — a face
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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