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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · rush · patient · bowl · key · spell · hide · content

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — the amount
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — magic
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. key — in music
  24. content — happy

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