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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — a coil
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — the season
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spring — of water
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mug — a face
  22. row — a line
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — 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