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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. track — a song
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. current — electric
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. track — a path
  24. chair — a leader

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