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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lean — thin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. row — a line
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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