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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
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: row · spell · squash · perch · bore · pound · staff · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — magic
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — letters
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cap — of ice
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cap — a hat
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — employees

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