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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — goods
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. firm — steady
  10. game — wild animals
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — decided
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. row — a line
  22. game — a match
  23. firm — a company
  24. sharp — with an edge

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