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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rest — a break
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a line
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. band — a music group
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wake — a trail

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