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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. shower — rain
  24. bear — the animal

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