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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cap — a hat
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. row — a line
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. spring — the season
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — of a king
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cap — a lid

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