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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. content — the amount
  3. row — a line
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — finally
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. content — happy
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — the tool

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