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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: season · land · dip · arm · row · spell · squash · object

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. dip — to sink
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. row — to paddle
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. row — a line
  15. object — an aim
  16. land — to come down
  17. spell — letters
  18. object — to protest
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — a short time
  21. land — a country
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — magic

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