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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rest — a break
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lean — thin
  10. date — the fruit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to bend
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a line
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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