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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: nail · row · rush · land · mate · net · bulb · season

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. land — a country
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rush — hurry
  5. season — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — in sport
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — to come down
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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