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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. row — a line
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. kid — child
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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