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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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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: leaves · rest · dip · club · hand · present · mark · row

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — to sink
  12. club — a group
  13. present — there
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — help
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rest — a break

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