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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — a division
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. object — to protest
  24. branch — of a tree

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