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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. drill — army training
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — completely
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rule — to rule out

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