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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. row — a line
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — ground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to click
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. land — a country
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. land — to come down
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — before a funeral

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