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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lie — to recline
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — letters
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. degree — an amount
  15. spell — magic
  16. degree — temperature
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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