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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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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — in sport
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. craft — boats
  7. row — a line
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a music group
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a ring
  18. rule — government
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. craft — a handicraft

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