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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — magic
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ground — a position
  15. row — a line
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — crushed
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — temperature
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — a stone
  23. branch — a division
  24. rock — music

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