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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a list
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. roll — a cake
  11. row — a line
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — the sport
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chair — a leader
  24. squash — to crush

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