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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. rule — government
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pound — a weight
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rule — a law
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bass — low music

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