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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
468
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 · wound · sharp · bowl · leaves · season · wave · foot

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. season — in sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — an injury
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. season — of the year

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