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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — a container
  5. ground — a position
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — hurry
  17. craft — boats
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chest — of your body

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