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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — a trail
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pop — soda
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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