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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: roll · root · lean · wound · wake · degree · row · bay

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lean — to bend
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. root — of a word
  10. degree — an amount
  11. roll — a list
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — temperature
  15. row — a line
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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