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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a line
  8. last — final
  9. mug — a cup
  10. last — to go on
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — to drill
  17. last — finally
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. mug — a face
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wake — a trail

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