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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. row — to paddle
  3. tear — to rip
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  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