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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.

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: cold · row · rash · lean · coach · squash · shower · safe

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — thin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cold — not warm
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. shower — rain
  16. squash — to crush
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cold — an illness
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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