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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rash — a series
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. foot — a measure
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — to grow
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. row — a quarrel

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