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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wind — moving air
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your 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