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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
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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: row · tear · court · wind · game · spell · season · lie

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. game — a match
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — of the year
  5. row — to paddle
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — letters
  8. season — in sport
  9. row — a line
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tear — to rip
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lie — to recline

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