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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a music group
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stand — to bear
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. row — a line

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