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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 120 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: dip · row · spring · foot · bowl · wound · lean · game

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — a match
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. foot — a measure
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bowl — to roll

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