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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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pop — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — a box
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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