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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to tire
  5. row — a line
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. swing — music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. toast — bread
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. toast — the most admired

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