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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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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a music group
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — to recline
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — an aim
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rock — a stone
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rock — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — a supporter

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