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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rock — music

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