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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — a series
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. firm — decided
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — hasty
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. firm — a company
  24. row — a line

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