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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — in sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — to add flavour

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