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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: perch · dip · lie · pop · roll · season · snap · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a line
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pop — music
  8. snap — to click
  9. season — in sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pop — soda
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — a list
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a cake

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