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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spring — a coil
  6. object — to protest
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — to eat
  16. last — finally
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. last — final
  21. march — the month
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — of water
  24. march — music

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