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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — crushed
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — in cards
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ground — a position

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