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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. mug — a face
  2. row — to paddle
  3. land — to come down
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — ground
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mug — a cup
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — low music
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — a country
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — in football
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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