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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. last — finally
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — magic
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. last — to go on
  12. spell — letters
  13. row — a line
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pound — a weight
  19. last — final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — certain
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bowl — to roll

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