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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. present — a gift
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wound — an injury
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. row — a line
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. present — there
  24. mine — for digging

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