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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. row — a line
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — a publisher
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. press — to push
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — a match

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