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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. row — a line
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. squash — the sport
  19. toast — bread
  20. squash — to crush
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spell — letters

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