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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 116 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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — a series
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — a line
  21. club — for golf
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — the arms race

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