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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — to keep track
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mine — for digging
  10. charge — a price
  11. track — a song
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a match
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a line
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bore — gave birth

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