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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. season — in sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rash — a series
  13. row — a line
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rash — hasty

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