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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — a stone
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rock — music
  13. press — to push
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rest — what's left
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rest — what's left

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