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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — a contest
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. staff — a stick
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — to bend
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. race — humankind
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — thin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — a thrill

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