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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — a line
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bass — the fish
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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