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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — a break
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. row — a line
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. roll — a list
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — a tight spot

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