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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. suit — to fit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — for sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. court — of law
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kid — to tease
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. suit — clothes
  17. row — a line
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. court — of a king
  22. kid — child
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. foot — part of the body

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