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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: row · wake · squash · mark · ground · object · spring · spell

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spell — letters
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ground — a position
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — to protest
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — a coil
  13. object — a thing
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — the season
  17. squash — the sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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