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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 120 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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. file — a tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a line
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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