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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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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: mark · wind · row · mug · bulb · kick · squash · saw

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kick — in football
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mug — a cup
  24. row — a quarrel

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