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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pop — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — to drill
  24. straw — a straw man

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