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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pit — in a race
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. season — of the year
  13. kid — child
  14. lean — thin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a hole
  17. season — in sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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