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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — the cause
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — a break
  13. firm — steady
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. firm — decided
  17. shower — to wash
  18. march — music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pit — a hole

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