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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — of a river
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rash — hasty
  7. row — a line
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rash — a series
  24. nail — on a finger

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