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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — bread
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. game — wild animals

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