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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: net · fork · leaves · last · roll · wake · squash · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — a list
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. roll — a cake
  10. last — to go on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. row — a line
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. squash — to crush

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