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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — rain
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lean — thin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — to bend
  21. object — to protest
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — an aim
  24. row — a line

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