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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — clever
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. object — an aim
  9. drill — a practice
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. drill — the tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — army training
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. land — a country
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. row — a line
  23. land — ground
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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