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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a line of people
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a document
  8. press — newspapers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. hand — in cards
  16. file — a tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rock — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kid — to tease
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kid — child

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