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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a line
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — thin
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. date — the fruit

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