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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — a series
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — a line
  11. board — a committee
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fall — the season
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wound — an injury

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