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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. row — a line
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — of the sea

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