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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.

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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: hand · row · lean · degree · foot · rush · bass · bulb

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. degree — from a university
  12. foot — a measure
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bass — low music
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. degree — an amount

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