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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — to paddle
  4. last — finally
  5. mark — a grade
  6. row — a line
  7. last — to go on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. last — final
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spring — of water
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. 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