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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. row — a line
  4. stock — shares
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — decided
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — steady
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — a company

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