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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lean — to bend
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rule — a law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rule — government
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. last — final
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — to go on
  18. lean — thin

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