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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — a thing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — to confront

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