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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. spell — magic
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — letters
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — help
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fan — a supporter

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