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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. object — a thing
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. object — to protest
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a match
  18. row — a line
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. game — a kind of play

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