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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. object — a thing
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — to protest

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