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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. staff — a stick
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — the tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fall — the season
  10. row — a line
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — an aim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — a price
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — to rip
  19. drill — army training
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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