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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — final
  3. roll — a list
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — to rob
  9. roll — a cake
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — of a word
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mug — a face
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kick — in football
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. last — finally
  24. deal — a big deal

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