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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — a line
  5. face — to confront
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — to point toward

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