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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a line
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a face
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. file — a tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. file — a document
  24. degree — temperature

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