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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. scale — size or range
  4. field — farmland
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — a line
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the vegetable

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