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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. row — a line
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. shower — to wash
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. roll — a list
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. net — in sport
  21. chair — a leader
  22. shower — rain
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. roll — a cake

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