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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. last — finally
  16. roll — a list
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. shower — rain
  22. mine — for digging
  23. squash — to crush
  24. roll — a cake

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