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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — magic
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. spell — a short time
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fine — all right
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a line
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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