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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. last — final
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. row — a line
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pass — a permit
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — finally
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. firm — a company
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — steady

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