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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — in music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

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