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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lean — thin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — a position
  24. lean — to bend

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