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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. net — in sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. net — for catching
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. branch — a division
  14. ball — a dance
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ball — a great time

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