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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bass — the fish
  6. last — finally
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — final
  11. tear — to rip
  12. row — a line
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — to get on
  19. bass — low music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. last — to go on
  22. board — a committee
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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