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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — thin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chest — a box
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. spell — magic
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — a line
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — music

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