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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mug — a face
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ground — crushed
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — a line

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