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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. land — a country
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — to come down
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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