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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. season — in sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a line
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — the cause
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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