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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. face — part of the head
  3. toast — bread
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mate — a partner
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mate — a friend

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