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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — a line
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mug — a face
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — a series
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — the amount
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. content — videos and posts

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