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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. last — finally
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. row — a line
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — final
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — a series
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rash — hasty

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