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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — a line
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — the time now
  10. pit — in a race
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — thin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. present — there
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bass — the fish

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