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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. row — a line
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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