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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — all right
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a dish

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