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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. row — a line
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cold — an illness
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cold — not warm
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pass — to succeed

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