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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a line
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. squash — to crush
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — to breed
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — happy
  17. object — an aim
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — a path
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bank — of a river

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