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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — the season
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. firm — steady
  23. fall — to drop
  24. row — a line

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