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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. track — a path
  14. row — a line
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. clip — a video
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. track — to keep track

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