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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. bass — low music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. press — to push
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — the fish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to drill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. row — a line
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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