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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — magic
  6. pound — a weight
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hand — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — a line
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — help
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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