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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. row — to paddle
  3. board — a committee
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. board — to get on
  18. pop — soda
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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