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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — in a road
  4. row — to paddle
  5. suit — clothes
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. row — a line
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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