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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — to protest
  12. ball — a great time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a line
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — a supporter

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