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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. last — to go on
  4. bound — certain
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — a signal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. row — a quarrel

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