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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lie — to recline
  3. charge — in control
  4. row — to paddle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. charge — a price
  8. season — of the year
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. root — the cause
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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