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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. content — happy
  12. row — a line
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — hurry
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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