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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — a division
  8. cell — a phone
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. craft — boats
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — a thing
  21. craft — a skill
  22. staff — employees
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — a quarrel

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