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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rest — a break
  12. row — a line
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. snap — to click
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — an aim
  23. bass — low music
  24. stand — on your feet

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