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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. band — a ring
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. row — a line

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