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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — in a road
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kid — child
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kid — to tease

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