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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a line
  12. rash — a series
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — hasty

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