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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wound — an injury
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. season — in sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. current — of water
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. current — electric
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a cup

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