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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. shower — rain
  13. object — a thing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fine — high quality

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