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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. 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 — to bend
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. row — a line
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — goods
  10. land — to come down
  11. lean — thin
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stock — shares
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — the cause
  18. row — to paddle
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — in control
  24. 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