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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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 bend
  2. row — to paddle
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — thin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. row — a line
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — a practice
  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