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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — thin
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — magic
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — in control

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