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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — certain
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. row — a line
  24. cap — a lid

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