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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · firm · scale · straw · row · mate · wound · land

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — steady
  21. land — to come down
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the sport

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