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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — a series
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. arm — part of the body

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