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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: leaves · rush · mark · hand · net · swing · row · ruler

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. swing — music
  5. row — a line
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — in cards
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. row — a quarrel

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