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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. present — there
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — hasty
  5. present — a gift
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. present — the time now
  13. row — to paddle
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — to go away

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