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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. mug — a cup
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rest — a break
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mug — a face
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — to bear

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