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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — steady
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lean — to bend
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to drill
  22. firm — a company
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bear — to put up with

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