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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. object — a thing
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — a series
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — hasty
  21. object — an aim
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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