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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cell — in biology
  3. row — a line
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. drill — a practice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. drill — army training
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — money
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. capital — a city
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — a big letter

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