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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — finally
  5. lean — to bend
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lean — thin
  14. bound — certain
  15. row — to paddle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — a line
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — final
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bound — tied together

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