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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. firm — decided
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. plane — a tool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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