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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — of the year
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. row — a line
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rest — what's left

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