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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — thin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — a short time
  7. row — a line
  8. branch — a division
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — magic
  12. last — to go on
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. last — final
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — finally
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. degree — from a university
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — to bend
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. safe — out of danger

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