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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tear — to rip
  3. row — a line
  4. lean — to bend
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lean — thin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — to get on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bear — the animal

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