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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — a thing
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. object — an aim
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. row — a line
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. shower — to wash
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bowl — to roll

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