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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — there
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — magic
  11. field — for sport
  12. present — a gift
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tear — to rip
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. field — farmland
  20. present — the time now
  21. pass — a permit
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to succeed

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