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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: bowl · trunk · fan · degree · bore · toast · file · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. row — to paddle
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — a line
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. file — a document
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — from a university
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — temperature
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — an amount
  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