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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. net — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. file — a line of people
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wake — a trail
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. file — a document
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — for catching
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to sink

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