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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — a line
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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