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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kid — child
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a line
  24. pop — soda

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