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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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 — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spring — the season
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a line
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — a phone
  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