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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · rush · tear · object · rule · firm · mug · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. firm — a company
  3. object — to protest
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — steady
  9. row — to paddle
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — an aim
  13. mug — to rob
  14. firm — decided
  15. row — a line
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rule — government
  18. object — a thing
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mug — a face
  21. rule — a law
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rule — to rule out

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