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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — a partner
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. row — a line
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — to recline

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