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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. row — a line
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. key — the most important part
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. key — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — to rest against

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