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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lean — thin
  8. season — in sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kid — to tease
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kid — child
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. prune — to trim
  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