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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — to push
  7. object — to protest
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — an aim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — a thing
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a line
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. saw — the tool

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