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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. land — ground
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — a line
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — in sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — to come down
  18. spring — the season
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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