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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — army training
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tube — the underground
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wave — with your hand

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