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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. row — a line
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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