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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. can — to be able to
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — of water
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — magic
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — the season
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mine — for digging

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