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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lie — to recline
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. foot — the bottom

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