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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. swing — in golf
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — a hole
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — to play on
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cabinet — ministers

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