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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — in control
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. row — a line
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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