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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. row — to paddle
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pop — to visit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. date — the fruit
  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