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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. band — a ring
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — in cards
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — help
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a rubber band

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