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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rest — a break
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — certain
  14. chest — of your body
  15. degree — from a university
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chest — a box
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fork — in a road

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