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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. rule — a law
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. row — a line
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rule — government
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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