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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — child
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — to tease
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — to be able to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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