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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a hat
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pop — soda
  19. tear — to rip
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cap — a lid

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