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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · row · spell · tube · arm · leaves · land · cell

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. land — a country
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spell — a short time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — letters
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — to come down
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — ground
  23. cell — a phone
  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