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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. object — a thing
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — a match
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — a contest
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — letters
  20. game — wild animals
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — an aim
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. row — a line

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