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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bound — obliged
  5. scale — in music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bound — certain
  9. hand — in cards
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — a line
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — a big deal

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