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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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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: saw · cell · root · row · bowl · content · kick · dip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. root — of a word
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cell — a phone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. row — a line
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. content — the amount
  20. cell — in biology
  21. content — happy
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. content — videos and posts

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