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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. march — the month
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — music
  9. spell — letters
  10. march — the month
  11. press — a publisher
  12. object — a thing
  13. row — a line
  14. can — to be able to
  15. press — to push
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. object — to protest
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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