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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — the sport
  12. row — a line
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — a sauce

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