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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. swing — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. file — a line of people
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a document
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — army training
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tear — to rip

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