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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wake — a trail
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. suit — to fit
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — a stone

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