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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — to paddle
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — a line
  9. game — a match
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wind — moving air
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wind — to turn a key

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