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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ground — a position
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — for digging
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. row — a quarrel

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