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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — in football
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a lid
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. row — a line
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a tool

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