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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — to handle
  4. object — to protest
  5. season — of the year
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. season — in sport
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. branch — a division
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. foot — a measure
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — the bottom

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