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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — a price
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — in control
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. craft — boats
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — all right
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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