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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a line
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rock — music

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