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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. club — for golf
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — a group
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to rest against

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