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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bore — to drill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — rain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — to drop

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