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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — a break
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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