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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. row — a line
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. spell — magic
  6. toast — bread
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. degree — an amount
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spell — letters
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. degree — temperature

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