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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — a line
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — a tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. row — to paddle
  16. current — happening now
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — a position
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — electric
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wind — moving air

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