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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rash — a series
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mug — a face

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