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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. swing — to play on
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wind — moving air
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a line
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. branch — a division
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a grade

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