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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. face — to confront
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — for catching
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. file — a document
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — after costs
  15. staff — a stick
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. staff — employees
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the sport
  24. suit — in cards

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