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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — a line
  7. roll — a list
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tear — to rip
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — a country
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bass — low music
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  24. leaves — to go away

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