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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. row — a line
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tear — from crying
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tear — to rip
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — a stone

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